Marshall Henderson's Rebel Past May Hurt Ole Miss in the Present

By Jon Hancock

Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall Henderson has emerged on to the college basketball scene by making big shots and not being afraid of showing his emotions on the court. But it has been the Ole Missguard’s emotional outburst that has gotten him the most attention.

Henderson’s taunting of the Auburn student section after hitting the game winning free throws has been one of the most watched things on the internet. He has also been seen in pictures, recently, drinking at parties and making our with girls after winning games.

In last night loss to Kentucky, Ole Miss fans decided it would be a smart idea to launch ice onto the court, Henderson responded by beaming it back at the fans.

http://youtu.be/uKoG0r9usNo

But this type of behavior should not shock Ole Miss coaches or fans. Before transferring to Ole Miss from South Plains College, Henderson had some issues with the law and apparently with drugs. In a USA Today article by Nicole Auerbach released Wednesday, it was revealed that while he was on probation for a 2010 charge related to counterfeit money Henderson’s probation was revoked last spring and he spent 25 days in jail after testing positive for alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.

Ole Miss’s assistant athletic director, Kyle Campbell, told Aurbach, “We were aware of the issues from Marshall’s past when he signed. Those misdemeanor charges have been addressed through the legal process, and there have been no issues since he has been a part of our program.”

From the outside looking in, this seems like a college kid who has a lot of issues. Everyone wants to see people get second chances and redeem themselves. But his erratic behavior could end up hurting Ole Miss more than his points are helping.

Ole Miss will take on No. 4 Florida in Gainesville on Saturday in what should be a very emotionally driven game. If Henderson is going to help the Rebels make a run in March, he must show his maturity against one of the best teams in the nation.